Core Principles
The Progeny universe operates on a hybrid system where divine magic and mortal engineering intersect. Technology exists, but it is constrained by resource scarcity, divine intervention, and the practical limitations of a post-apocalyptic civilization rebuilding across the solar system. Most "advanced" technology resembles the Industrial Revolution through the 1950s - steam power, basic electricity, mechanical engineering, but nothing approaching modern computing, AI, or mass electronics production.
Key Rule: When in doubt about how something works, default to "gods can do anything, but they're mostly too lazy to do everything." Mortal technology fills the gaps that divine power doesn't bother with.
Summary for Storytelling
When writing stories in Progeny:
- Links and D.E.W. drive the economy and conflict - scarcity, distribution, political intrigue
- Steam power is everywhere - aesthetic choice backed by practical in-world reasons
- Electricity is rare and quasi-magical - creates interesting cultural dynamics
- Gods can do anything but are lazy - explains infrastructure without requiring detailed engineering
- Soul Sailing is intimate and personal - pilots develop relationships with shades, objects have meaning
- The astral plane is dangerous - real stakes for travel and exploration
- Technology is limited - no easy solutions, forces creative problem-solving
- Divine intervention is possible but not guaranteed - gods are political actors, not deus ex machina